I’m up to my elbows today in reviewing edits and such, so today’s post is going to be short. Hopefully, I’ll be able to get back this afternoon and do a longer post. Until then, here are a couple of links that caught my eye this morning:

Harper, Donnelley in Wide Ranging Supply Chain Deal – what this means in the long term for authors has yet to be explained. However, I can’t help but wonder if this isn’t another way to prevent a title from going out-of-print. If so, authors, you need to make sure your agents are taking that into account in your contracts.

Borders is once again in the news — twice. The first is this call from the CEO Mike Edwards once more telling publishers to “trust me” and start sending stock under reasonable terms. In other words, we’ll pay when we’re good and ready. And he doesn’t understand why they aren’t willing to run the risk.

The second is this article from PW where it is speculated that there has been an offer for Borders. Note, however, that in the link in the previous paragraph, Edwards does his best to downplay that possibility.

Finally, there has been an e-mail sent by Edwards to the Borders Reward customers. In the same metaphorical breath as he tells everyone he is confident Borders will emerge from bankruptcy as a “best-in-class” bookseller, he also says they are expanding children’s games as well as their stationary and gift offerings. Hmm…bookseller….riiiiight. And in what I’m sure is a great cost-cutting measure — yes, I’m being sarcastic here — they are offering, for a limited time, free priority shipping to the customer’s home any title not in stock. All you have to do is come into your friendly neighborhood Borders to take advantage of the deal. Well, I checked. My friendly neighborhood Borders is at least half an hour away, without running into traffic delays. I’d pass at least two Barnes & Noble stores. Hmm….why am I going to Borders?